Brazil may still regain authorization to export chicken to the European Union in time to avoid a suspension of shipments, according to Ricardo Santin, president of the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, known as ABPA.
EU officials are scheduled to audit Brazil’s compliance with the bloc’s requirements on the use of antimicrobial-control in livestock in late August, Santin told reporters on Tuesday.
Although the formal approval process would normally require additional steps after the inspection, European authorities could act on the auditors’ preliminary findings rather than wait for a final report, Santin said. That could allow Brazil to return to the list of authorized suppliers by Sept. 3, the deadline set by the EU for Brazil prove it complies with EU’s standards.
“Europe could decide based on the initial information from the audit rather than the final report,” Santin said. EU officials could also call an extraordinary meeting to address the issue, he added.
The decision rests with European authorities, but the Brazilian government is working to rebuild confidence after the EU requested an additional layer oversight, Santin said.
Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry is already implementing the additional controls, which EU officials will be able to assess during the August audit. The ministry will conduct extra, unannounced farm inspections, supplementing checks already carried out by companies and government inspectors at farms and feed mills.
ABPA is supporting the Brazilian government in negotiations and emphasizing the role of Brazilian supplies in stabilizing EU chicken prices, Santin said. Demand could become more pressing amid intense summer heat and avian influenza outbreaks that may curb European production.
Brazilian chicken exports to the EU rose 51% in the first half of 2026 to nearly 190,000 metric tons. The comparison was partly distorted because the bloc was closed to Brazilian chicken for one month in the first half of 2025, though Santin said underlying demand had also increased.
Brazil alone filled the 20,000-metric-ton tariff-free quota established under the EU-Mercosur agreement this year. Expectations that Brazilian suppliers could lose access after Sept. 3 may also have prompted importers to bring forward some purchases, Santin said.
This story was translated from the original Portuguese with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by The AgriBiz editorial staff.
